Sometimes....?

Matthew 5:21 (to be continued)

My friend and pastor, Peter, gave me some good advice once; set goals for yourself, but do not hold yourself to impossible standards. My goal is to write daily about a portion of the
Sermon on the Mount, but yesterday........well!?!

My good friend Bud had just brought his wife home from the hospital so Trudy and decide to take dinner to them so Bud could rest a little. We went to the store to pick a few ingredients. When we thought we were done we strolled up to the check out stands and there were two with the cashiers standing out front looking for some one to help, what good luck I thought.
then we remembered something we had forgotten, back to the dairy section for cottage cheese.

When we came back every check out stand had a line, except the self checkout stand so we went there. After scanning all the items, I swiped my debit card and it refuse to authorise it. I called the credit union and realized we were had $2.00 less that the what was in the cart. I put back a couple of things we didn't need and then took out my wallet to get my card. No card! I checked my pockets, no card. I asked Trudy if she had my card, "No", she said. I scanned the area quickly to see if I had dropped it, it was there. I took everything out of my pockets. No card. I completely emptied my wallet, Nada! We looked in the bags, on top of the checkout machine. I turned my pockets inside out again. I emptied my wallet for a third time.

Even thought Trudy insisted that she did not have it I had her empty we purse. No card. The cashier came over to see was wrong and she looked. I emptied my pockets and wallet again, same result. The cashier took the machine apart piece by piece. We found $5.00 dollars in coins people had lost in cracks and crevices in the checkout machine, but no card. a small crowd had gather behinds us, so Trudy used her card and we moved away from the machine and I went through the whole routine again.

People were starting to asking us to move with irritated politeness so they could get around us. I started to worry that the card had been pick up my some opportunistic thief. We went out to the car and got in. I noticed the time was 4:50 PM. We were going to be late getting dinner to Bud and Mary, but I had ten minutes to report my lost card to the Credit Union. I called them and cancelled the card. I now have to wait 7 to 10 days for a new one. We called
bud and said we would be 30 minutes late. We drove home puzzled by what had happened to the card and frustrated that we would be late taking dinner to Bud and Mary. I realized then that I would miss dinner as I had a meeting in Lebanon at 7:00 pm. When we finally arrived home, Trudy reached into her pocket for keys and came out with......THE CARD!! ARRRGHH

Now how come neither of us remember me giving it to her after I tried to use it.
We rushed to get dinner prepared for Bud and Mary, drove to Crowfoot to deliver it and cut short our visit so Trudy could drop me at my meeting. I was 20 minutes early, but we did not have time to return to Albany get my and drive back. So Trudy left me and promised to send my Son Matt back to get me at 8:00 pm. I watched her leave and then walk up to the meeting place. No one was there. I called my partner John to ask why. John said, "The meeting was
Tuesday, not Thursday". Now I standing in Lebanon with out a jacket, a car, or a way home and I have to pee. No keys no place to go. AAARRRGGGHHH!! Some times it is just not my day!

Father, sometimes I think I am so good, so capable, that I set impossible standards. I get impatient, with others and my self. and when things don't work out I get angry. I pray for patience, I pray to learn humility. I pray for peace of mind and heart.















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